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Hormonal · condition 05 of 18
Which Hormones Control Hair Growth, and What Happens When They Shift
Four hormones do most of the work. When they move, your hair reports it.
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Nina Ross, NDServing all of Metro Atlanta
Quick answer
Four hormones do most of the work in hair growth: estrogen, thyroid hormone, DHT and cortisol. Estrogen holds hair in its growth phase, which is why hair often feels thickest in pregnancy and thinner after birth or through menopause.
Read the full answer
Thyroid hormone sets the pace of the growth cycle, so both an underactive and an overactive thyroid can cause shedding. DHT, a derivative of testosterone, shrinks sensitive follicles at the crown and temples over time.
Cortisol, your stress hormone, pushes hairs out of growth and into shedding early. Hormonal hair loss usually looks like diffuse thinning through the top and a widening part rather than a bald patch. At Nina Ross Atlanta in Sandy Springs we read your scalp at 200x and look at the systems behind it. Serving all of Metro Atlanta.
- Estrogen, thyroid, DHT and cortisol do most of the work.
- It usually looks like diffuse thinning through the top.
- At 200x, mixed hair thickness is the signature.
What you might be noticing
Symptoms in your words, and ours
Tap the one that sounds like you to see why it happens and how we figure it out.
01My part keeps getting wider
Diffuse central thinning✋🏾
Why it happens
A widening part is commonly linked to hormonal shifts affecting follicles through the top of the scalp, especially DHT sensitivity or lower estrogen support.
How we figure it out
We read the part at 200x for hairs of different thicknesses side by side, the signature of hormonal thinning.
02My ponytail is half the size it was
Reduced overall density and hair caliber✋🏾
Why it happens
A smaller ponytail usually means both fewer hairs and finer hairs, which is commonly linked to hormonal change over time.
How we figure it out
We compare the crown with the back of your head, which is usually spared, to see how much has changed.
03I shed for months after something changed
Telogen shift following hormonal change✋🏾
Why it happens
Birth, perimenopause, a thyroid change or a stressful stretch can shift many follicles into shedding at once.
How we figure it out
We separate shedding from thinning at 200x, and look at the systems behind it in-house through our functional medicine work.
04My hairline at the temples is receding
Androgen-sensitive frontotemporal loss✋🏾
Why it happens
Recession at the temples is commonly linked to DHT sensitivity in the follicles there. Inherited sensitivity matters more than the amount of hormone alone.
How we figure it out
We look for miniaturized hairs at the temples at 200x and compare them with an unaffected area.
05New hair on my chin or jaw
Terminal facial hair with androgen excess✋🏾
Why it happens
New coarse hair on the chin or jaw is commonly linked to higher androgen activity, which can also thin the scalp. It is often discussed alongside PCOS.
How we figure it out
Tell us about it at your visit. It helps us read your scalp pattern and decide which systems to look at.
What causes it
What is actually driving it
- 01
Estrogen shifts
Postpartum, perimenopause and menopause all lower estrogen support for the growth phase, so more hairs enter shedding at the same time.
- 02
Thyroid function
Both underactive and overactive thyroid disrupt the growth cycle. Thyroid-related shedding is diffuse rather than patchy.
- 03
DHT sensitivity
DHT miniaturizes sensitive follicles. Inherited sensitivity, more than the amount of hormone alone, determines who thins.
- 04
Cortisol and chronic stress
Sustained cortisol pushes follicles out of growth early. It shows up as a shedding wave a few months after the stressful period.1
What we see that others miss
Reading hormonal thinning at 200x
Hormonal thinning has a signature under magnification: hairs of noticeably different thicknesses sitting side by side in the same area, which is called variability in shaft caliber. That single finding separates hormonal miniaturization from a plain shedding episode, where the hairs that remain are all still full thickness.
Seeing shorter, finer new hairs return from the same openings tells us the follicles are still active.
How we treat it
What care looks like here
We start by seeing which pattern your scalp actually shows at 200x, since diffuse thinning, miniaturization and shedding look different under magnification. From there care combines a restorative program, nutrient support where your labs point to it, and light-based therapy. Functional medicine work happens in-house alongside the scalp work.
- 01Read the pattern at 200x
- 02Look at the systems behind it
- 03Support the follicle
See how our functional medicine work fits in →The four hormones that matter →
IV Nutrient Therapy
Targeted nutrient support when your labs show what the follicle is missing.
Red Light Therapy
Low level light used to calm scalp inflammation and support the growth phase.
One visit. Real answers.
The $99 Hair & Body Discovery
No prepOne visitYour time, your pickNo judgmentServing all of Metro Atlanta
- One-on-one scalp health session with a certified trichologist
- 200x magnification read of your scalp, on screen, while you watch
- A full-body biofeedback scan
- Your Hair & Body Discovery Report, delivered the next day
Our promiseYou'll leave actually seeing what's happening, your scalp at 200x, the systems behind it, with your report the next day. If you don't, the $99 is on us.
Fully HSA/FSA eligible. 0% financing for qualified applicants.
You are welcome here
We are well-versed in us.
Black women are frequently told a widening part is a styling problem. It can be both. We read tension patterns and hormonal patterns as separate findings, and we tell you which one your scalp is actually showing.
Relaxers, braids, locs, weaves and heat. Share your full hair history. It is welcomed, never judged.
10 years of specialized care2,500+ clients seenNo judgment
Related conditions
Often confused with this
PCOS Hair Loss
Higher androgens thin the crown and thicken hair where you did not ask for it.
Postpartum Hair Loss
The shedding that starts around month three. It is real, and it does end.
Excess DHT
The hormone behind pattern thinning, and how to tell if it is your driver.
Questions, answered
Honest answers before you commit
Which hormone is most responsible for hair loss?
There is no single one. For thinning at the crown and temples, DHT sensitivity leads. For sudden shedding, thyroid, estrogen and cortisol are the usual suspects. Which one is driving yours is what we are looking for.
Will it grow back if my hormones settle?
Shedding usually settles once the trigger passes, and follicles producing finer hair can often be supported back toward thicker hair when the driver is addressed. How much returns depends on the stage we see at 200x. Results not typical. Individual results will vary.
Do I need labs?
Sometimes. If your scalp read and history point to a hormonal or nutrient driver, testing helps confirm which one, and that work happens in-house.
Is hormonal thinning different in Black women?
The hormones work the same way. What differs is how often a widening part gets blamed on styling. We read tension and hormonal patterns as separate findings and tell you which one your scalp is showing.
How long before I can tell anything is changing?
Hair grows slowly, so change takes months to see. We photograph the same points each visit, so you compare against your own baseline instead of a memory.
References
Results not typical. Individual results will vary.
Let's find out what your hair is trying to tell you.
You'll see it, or the $99 is on us. Serving all of Metro Atlanta.
Nina Ross Atlanta, 8735 Dunwoody Place, Suite 290, Sandy Springs, GA 30350. Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM.